1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,090 discloses a connector with first and second housings. The first housing has a receptacle and the second housing is configured to fit in the receptacle. The connector also has a restriction for preventing the second housing from being fit in an incorrect posture. The restriction includes a rib formed on an inner surface of the receptacle and a groove formed in an outer surface of the second housing. The rib and the groove engage to permit a connecting operation of the housings when the second housing is fit into the receptacle in a correct posture. However, the outer surface of the second housing interferes with the rib to prevent connection if the second housing is in an incorrect posture.
The restricting rib of the above-described conventional connector projects substantially at right angles from a longer side of the receptacle and prevents the connecting operation when the second housing is inclined about an axis parallel to shorter sides of the receptacle. However, the connecting operation is not prevented when the receptacle is inclined about an axis parallel to the longer sides of the receptacle.
Ribs that project from both longer and shorter sides of the receptacle have been considered to address inclination about an axis parallel to the longer sides of the receptacle and inclination about an axis parallel to the shorter sides. However, with this structure, the posture of the second housing must be determined correctly in both a longer side direction and a shorter side direction at an initial stage of an operation of fitting the second housing into the receptacle. This complicates the connecting operation.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to improve operability at an initial stage of a connecting operation in a connector designed to prevent a forced connection of housings.